The Trip
by Dr. Michaela Quinn
Summary: Reba finally decided to drive to the Grand Canyon with Barbara Jean. What will this trip entail?
1. Reba & Barbara Jean leave Houston

_**A/N: This is between Seasons Five and Six**_

Brock walked through the front door of Reba's house.

"I can't believe you are actually going to the Grand Canyon with Barbara Jean." He said. Reba looked up at him from her seat on the couch.

"Well Brock, let me tell ya. When I had my heart condition several months ago, I decided this trip couldn't be as bad as letting her drive my ashes over the Grand Canyon." Reba stood up and smiled.

"This is ridiculous. My first ex-wife is taking a road trip with my soon to be ex-wife to talk about me." Brock exclaimed.

"We must certainly aren't talking about you Brock. Do you really think that you are the only thing Barbara Jean and I can talk about?" Reba asked looking at him.

"No, of course not." Brock replied looking down at the floor and crossed his arms. Barbara Jean walked in the front door.

"Oh hi Brock. I didn't realize you'd be over here." Barbara Jean said.

"Yeah, I can come see my wife and children freely." Brock stated.

"Ex-wife." Reba corrected. Brock nodded in agreeance.

"Anyhow, Reba; I have the perfect shirts for our trip." Barbara Jean exclaimed and handed her a shirt. Reba held it up to look at it. It had bright red letters that said; "Barbara Jean and Reba's Road trip Extravaganza" and a picture of Barbara Jean underneath. Reba laughed and handed Barbara Jean the shirt.

"I'm not wearing that." Reba said.

"You have to." Barbara Jean responded.

"No I don't." Reba replied.

"Please?" Barbara Jean whined.

"No! I don't want to wear it Barbara Jean." Reba exclaimed.

"Fine. You don't have to wear it. But I will be out in the car." Barbara Jean said and walked off.

"Do you want me to stay here with the kids?" Brock asked.

"Cheyenne and Van are perfectly capable of watching Jake for a few days," Reba replied. "besides, he is almost 11."

"Okay, just asking." Brock said.

"Kids, I'm goin'!" Reba hollered up the stairs. Jake, Cheyenne, Van and Elizabeth come down the stairs.

"Bye mom." Jake hugged Reba.

"Good bye honey." Reba replied.

"Have a good time Mrs. H." Van said from behind her. Reba turned around.

"I will truly try, but it is Barbara Jean." Reba replied.

"Love you mom." Cheyenne stated. Reba turned around and hugged her oldest child.

"I love you too Cheyenne." Reba let go and walked toward the door.

"Grandma?" Elizabeth asked as Reba picked up her suitcase.

"Yes Elizabeth?" Reba questioned. Elizabeth ran over and hugged her.

"I love you grandma." Elizabeth said.

"I love you too Elizabeth." Reba replied and walked outsider with her suitcase. Barbara Jean turned the key in the ignition when Reba came out. Reba tossed her suitcase in the backseat and climbed into the front seat and closed the door. The stereo was blaring as they drove down the road.

"I turned it to all that country music you like." Barbara Jean said looking at Reba. Reba sighed. After the commercial break, the song "I'm a Survivor" came on the radio. This was going to be a long trip.


	2. Broken Down

**A/N: Felt it was about time for a new chapter on Reba and BJ's road trip :D Hope you enjoy =)**

Reba and Barbara Jean were driving down the road in Arizona with the top down. Reba had a hat on and her little sun glasses while Barbara Jean had the thick, black glasses on that covered her entire face and her long blonde hair blew in the wind. She looked over at Reba.

"I can't believe we're on the road. We're actually on the trip."

"Yeah, I think something hit me in the head." Reba muttered.

"What?" Barbara Jean asked.

"Nothin."

"I thought so." She replied with a smug look. "This is a beautiful state." Reba nodded.

"Yes it is. I've only been through here a few times." Barbara Jean stopped talking momentarily. Reba watched as the desert went by and then Barbara Jean sighed.

"Thank you for agreeing to come with me. I thought you were kidding in the hospital like you usually do," she smiled, "I know your sense of humor." Reba rested her arm on the door and turned her body to face Barbara Jean.

"Originally I was joking, until I saw how much it actually meant for you to go to the Grand Canyon." Barbara Jean nodded.

"We didn't take many family vacations when I was younger Reba, and a trip with my best friend is the closest thing I have." Reba exhaled because she wasn't sure what to say about being Barbara Jean's "best friend." For years she fought it, but now, she's thinking that maybe she is Barbara Jean's friend. Even scarier than that, maybe Barbara Jean is Reba's friend. It was Reba's turn to sigh. She couldn't believe she was about to say this.

"You know something Barbara Jean," she started, "you stole my husband and for that I'll always have some anger in my heart; but I think we've gotten pretty close in the last five years." Barbara Jean turned to her with a big smile.

"So I'm your best friend?"

"I wouldn't say that," Reba said raising her hands slightly in the air, "but we are closer than I thought we would be six years ago." She sighed. "You've been in my life more than I ever expected you to be; even after you married Brock. I thought my life would be my life; but you have insisted on being in every area and aspect of my being and that's become a comfort." Barbara Jean hit the gas when the car made a weird noise. Reba sat up and started listening for more noise. After being married to Brock, she knew what to listen for when it came to cars.

"What was that?" Barbara Jean asked. Reba sat and lifted a finger so she could try and hear the car, but she didn't hear anything.

"I don't know. I haven't heard anything scraping." Reba replied.

"The gas won't let me go any further," Barbara Jean stated, "my foot is literally on the floor." Reba shook her head.

"We have to stop."

"But we aren't anywhere near the Grand Canyon." She replied and Reba tossed her a glance.

"If something is wrong with this car, we won't make it anyway," Reba sighed, "at least YOU won't."

"This car seemed reliable when I picked it up at the rental place."

"Did you go alone?" Reba questioned and Barbara Jean nodded.

"Brock couldn't go and he said I'd be fine on my own." Reba scoffed.

"So we have a car that's broken down and we don't have any idea what's wrong with it," she stated just to make sure she knew the facts. "Pop the hood."

"What?" Barbara Jean asked pulling over to the side of the road and giving Reba a weird look.

"I'm going to check and see what's going on."

"You don't know anything about cars." Barbara Jean scoffed. Reba got out of the car and opened the hood after Barbara Jean popped it.

"Maybe not, but I know more than you do," Reba stuck her head near the engine and then leaned up after a few minutes.

"What do you see?" Barbara Jean asked. Reba walked over to her and slapped her shoulder repeatedly. "What is that for?" Barbara Jean whined.

" For dragging me into Arizona without my cell phone! We are stranded here unless you can stop a tow truck on the side of the road." Barbara Jean smiled.

"Well, I haven't before, but I suppose I could."

"Nothing like that." Reba rolled her eyes. "We can't miss the Grand Canyon." Barbara Jean, oblivious to the scene around her, laughed.

"It'll still be there when you want to go back."

"You may not be!" She exclaimed. "I don't know what we're going to do."

"Hitchhike!" Barbara Jean practically yelled for the entire state to hear. Reba quickly turned her head to look at her.

"I'm not hitchhiking." Reba replied firmly.

"Fine." Barbara Jean replied in her mocking deep voice.

"Let's go up ahead and see if we can find a gas station or a town and see if somebody can help us," Reba said, "I'm sure somebody will help out."

"Yeah, because we're still living on the prairie, Ma Ingalls." Barbara Jean said sarcastically.

"I'll leave you here alone." Reba replied motioning towards the car. Barbara Jean rushed over to her.

"Please don't." She whined.

"Then let's go. We have to find somebody before it gets dark." So Reba and Barbara Jean headed off about 11:30 in the morning to find somebody to help with their broken down vehicle. They didn't think town would be even ten miles from them; but it just took the time to get into town. Hopefully somebody would be able to help them.


End file.
